Tag: preseason

Jul 31, 2025; Canton, Ohio, USA; Detroit Lions cheerleaders pose on the field after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

NFL preseason ratings surge 17 percent, highest since ’18

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NFL regular season hasn’t even started yet, but viewership for the league is still setting records.

The league announced that this year’s preseason averaged a record 2.2 million viewers per game across NFL Network, ESPN, CBS, NBC and FOX. That mark is 17 percent up from last year and the league’s highest since 2018.

NFL Network, which handled the majority of the live games, averaged 1.8 million viewers for those broadcasts, which is the network’s highest total ever for the preseason and up 26 percent from last year.

The preseason numbers may point to a good sign after last season’s disappointing viewership decline. Last year saw the NFL’s regular-season viewership fall by 2.2 percent from the previous year to 17.5 million viewers per game.

The inaugural game of the preseason saw a huge spike in viewership to kick off the well-watched preseason. The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on July 31 — featuring the Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions — averaged a whopping 6.9 million viewers, which was a 40 percent bump from the 2024 Hall of Fame Game.

The NFL regular season starts with the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles kicking off Sept. 4.

–Field Level Media

Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. (34) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in the fourth quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jordyn Harris-Imagn Images

NFL preseason roundup: Ravens wreck Commanders to finish 3-0

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The yardage totals were close, but the final was anything but as Baltimore rolled past Washington 30-3 in Landover, Md. on Saturday to complete its NFL preseason a perfect 3-0.

Rasheen Ali and D’Ernest Johnson rumbled for first-half rushing scores, rookie Tyler Loop drilled three long field goals, including a 61-yarder in the fourth quarter, and Keyon Martin returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown late in the second that gave Baltimore a 24-3 lead.

With Jayden Daniels sitting this one out, Washington’s backup quarterbacks failed to distinguish themselves, as Sam Hartman and Josh Johnson combined to throw three interceptions and lead one scoring drive capped off by a Matt Gay 47-yard field goal.

The Ravens open their season with the Bills in Buffalo Sept. 7, while the Commanders (0-3 in the preseason) host the New York Giants that same day.

Colts 41, Bengals 14

Laquon Treadwell paced Indianapolis with 116 yards receiving as Indianapolis (1-2) ran away from host Cincinnati.

Treadwell grabbed six catches on six targets, including a 59-yard scoring play from Riley Leonard at the end of the second quarter.

Leonard, a rookie out of Notre Dame, completed 15 of 20 passes for 189 yards, while Daniel Scott returned an interception for a 35-yard touchdown to hand the Colts an early 10-0 lead. Ulysses Bentley IV had two scoring runs.

The Bengals (1-2) had little to smile about with just 228 total yards and a pair of turnovers. Desmond Ridder and Quali Conley scored on the ground.

Browns 19, Rams 17

Recently tabbed for the starting role, quarterback Joe Flacco completed 9 of 10 passes for 71 yards and a 15-yard touchdown to Harold Fannin Jr. as host Cleveland defeated Los Angeles.

Dillon Gabriel threw for 129 yards in relief and connected with Gage Larvadain for a 3-yard score, while Andre Szmyt hit a 37-yard field goal at the gun to help the Browns finish the preseason 3-0.

The Rams (2-1) had taken their first lead of the game with 2:03 to play on a 2-yard Jordan Waters run. That capped a 77-yard drive directed by second-year player Dresser Winn.

Texans 26, Lions 7

Young passers Graham Mertz and Kedon Slovis combined for 256 yards through the air and a touchdown apiece as Houston handled host Detroit (1-3).

A Woody Marks 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Texans (2-1) a 10-7 lead. After short scoring passes by Mertz and Slovis, Ka’imi Fairbairn hit a 48-yard field goal to complete the scoring.

Detroit’s touchdown came via a Kyle Allen 33-yard pass to Isaac TeSlaa in the first quarter.

Broncos 28, Saints 19

In head coach Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans, Denver cruised past the Saints.

Bo Nix (110 yards) helped lead the Broncos (3-0) to a 16-9 halftime advantage, connecting with Courtland Sutton on a 19-yard touchdown pass. Will Lutz, also celebrating his return to his former stomping grounds, went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts.

Blake Grupe responded with four makes for New Orleans (0-2-1). Tyler Shough may have gained the advantage in the quarterback competition, getting more playing time than Spencer Rattler and scoring on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter.

–Field Level Media

Aug 17, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during warmups before a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Bills QB Josh Allen to sit out entire preseason for first time

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Josh Allen will sit out Saturday’s game against the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers, marking the first time in his NFL career that the Buffalo Bills quarterback will not play in the preseason.

Bills coach Sean McDermott announced Thursday that Allen would not participate in the preseason finale.

“(You’ve) got the reigning MVP, and I feel that he’s shown to this point that he’s in a good spot,” McDermott said.

Allen, 29, will be under center on Sept. 7 when the Bills open their season with a rematch of their AFC divisional round playoff game against MVP runner-up Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in Orchard Park, N.Y.

A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Allen completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and a career-low six interceptions in 2024 while adding 531 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.

The other quarterbacks currently on the Buffalo roster are Mitchell Trubisky, Mike White and Shane Buechele.

–Field Level Media

Dec 15, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) runs against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Reports: Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. to sit, could be traded

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In a mutual decision between team and player, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. will sit out the team’s preseason game against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, NFL Network and ESPN reported.

Robinson’s future with the team is up in the air and he could be traded before the season begins, per the reports. Per ESPN, Washington could even cut its former starting running back if no trade materializes.

A third-round draft pick in 2022, Robinson, 26, rushed for 797, 733 and 799 yards in his first three seasons with the Commanders, spanning 41 games (37 starts). He has totaled 15 rushing touchdowns, eight of them coming last year.

If they move forward without Robinson, the Commanders will have veteran Austin Ekeler, 2023 draft pick Chris Rodriguez Jr. and rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt involved in their backfield.

–Field Level Media

Jul 24, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) passes the ball during training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Bears QB Caleb Williams won’t play in preseason opener

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will not play in Sunday’s preseason opener against the visiting Miami Dolphins, head coach Ben Johnson confirmed Friday.

Williams and about 17 other starters will sit out Sunday but are expected to see action at some point during the exhibition slate.

“I think we have about nine on O, nine on D,” Johnson said of the starters who won’t play. “We’ll see how the day goes, maybe that number will change. So, we’ll make it through the day, and we’ll make those final decisions when we get there.”

The Bears and Dolphins are having a joint practice Friday, giving Johnson and his coaches a chance to see Williams and the others in action.

“I would suspect that we will have them play at some point (in the preseason), yeah,” Johnson said. “But that’s to be determined.”

Third-year quarterback Tyson Bagent will start against Miami and play the first half, with veteran Case Keenum and Austin Reed also taking snaps.

Williams, 23, was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He started every game as a rookie, finishing 5-12 with 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) catches a pass during an NFL training camp session at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]

Jags to use Travis Hunter at WR and CB, play starters vs. Steelers

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Travis Hunter will play both offense and defense for the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday in their preseason opener at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Head coach Liam Coen announced Hunter’s two-way status on Thursday and also said his starters will play, though how many series they see will be an in-game decision.

“We’ll play everybody,” Coen said.

Hunter has maintained since before he was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in April that he wanted to line up at both wide receiver and cornerback after doing it in college at Colorado. The Heisman Trophy winner has seen action at both positions in training camp.

As for the starters playing, Coen said he was swayed by conversations he had with center Robert Hainsey and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

“Ultimately those guys have a pulse so much more for what the locker room is than I do on a daily basis,” Coen said. “So it was good to hear from those guys.”

The 39-year-old Coen will be making his debut as a head coach. The Jaguars hired him on Jan. 24 to replace Doug Pederson, who was fired earlier in the month following a 4-13 season.

The Jaguars finished 22-29 in three seasons under Pederson, reaching the playoffs once.

Coen was the offensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season.

Jacksonville opens the season Sept. 7 at home against the Carolina Panthers.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) runs for a short gain during NFL training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Berea, Ohio.

Browns QBs Shedeur Sanders, Tyler Huntley to take reps in preseason opener

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will start the preseason opener Friday when the Cleveland Browns meet the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C.

Coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed the move on Wednesday.

The Browns have five quarterbacks in camp, but only two — Sanders and newly signed Tyler Huntley — are expected to play against the Panthers.

Kenny Pickett and rookie Dillon Gabriel are nursing hamstring injuries, and Stefanski and staff already know what 40-year-old Joe Flacco can do.

Stefanski said a number of veterans are unlikely to take the field.

“It’s a great opportunity for all of our young players in that football game,” he said.

The Browns selected Gabriel, 24, in the third round of the draft from Oregon and Sanders, 23, in the fifth round from Colorado. Sanders, who played for his father, Deion Sanders, in college, had been considered a first-round talent.

Huntley, 27, started five games last season with the Miami Dolphins in place of an injured Tua Tagovailoa. He had a 2-3 record, completing 86 of 133 pass attempts for 829 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Shedeur Sanders to start Browns’ preseason opener

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Cleveland Browns plan to give Shedeur Sanders the start at quarterback in their preseason opener Friday at the Carolina Panthers, Cleveland.com and ESPN reported Tuesday.

The news comes just one day after Cleveland listed Sanders as its QB4 on the unofficial depth chart for the week and reportedly signed free agent QB Tyler Huntley.

However, Kenny Pickett and Sanders’ fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel are both dealing with hamstring injuries, and the team’s other quarterback, 40-year-old Joe Flacco, does not have much to prove in a preseason setting.

It’s unclear how severe Pickett’s and Gabriel’s injuries are. Sanders and Huntley may split the workload at Carolina if the Browns do not plan to play their other quarterbacks.

Sanders, 23, was widely expected to be a first-round draft pick and one of the first quarterbacks selected last April. Instead, he dropped to the fifth round, where the Browns drafted him 144th overall — two rounds after they drafted Gabriel from Oregon.

After a prolific college career playing for his father Deion Sanders at Jackson State and Colorado, Shedeur Sanders is battling for a roster spot. As of Monday, Sanders was the only QB yet to be given first-team reps.

–Field Level Media

Jul 25, 2025; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9), left, talks with head coach Zac Taylor, right, during training camp practice. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images

Bengals QB Joe Burrow to play ‘several series’ vs. Eagles

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Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and select starters will see action in Cincinnati’s preseason opener against the host Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, coach Zac Taylor told reporters Tuesday.

“Several series is what we’ll give those starters,” Taylor said.

Burrow, 28, has thrown a total of eight passes in preseason games the past four years. The two-time Pro Bowl selection completed 5 of 7 passes in the 2024 preseason, his first action in an exhibition game since 2021 when he threw an incompletion in his only attempt.

Taylor also noted that his starters will see their most preseason playing time in their Aug. 18 date with the host Washington Commanders.

Per Taylor, tight end Mike Gesicki, defensive end Trey Hendrickson, defensive tackle BJ Hill and defensive backs Cam Taylor-Britt and Daxton Hill will sit out Thursday’s game versus the Eagles.

Cincinnati’s starters are not expected to play in the preseason finale against the visiting Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 23.

Giving Burrow more preseason snaps may reflect the Bengals’ desire to avoid another slow start to the regular season. Cincinnati has started 0-2 in each of the past three campaigns, including 0-3 in 2024.

–Field Level Media

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) under center against the Las Vegas Raiders in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

NFL Network to air 21 preseason games

Posted on | by Field Level Media

NFL Network will air 21 preseason games ahead of the 2025 season, beginning with an Aug. 7 doubleheader featuring the Indianapolis Colts vs. the Baltimore Ravens.

That game will be followed by Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll and quarterback Geno Smith returning to Seattle to face their former team, the Seahawks.

The following day, NFL Network will air the Browns at the Carolina Panthers, expected to be the pro debuts of quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, both taken by Cleveland in the April draft.

Quarterbacks in new places will be the theme as the opening preseason weekend continues Saturday with a tripleheader. The New York Giants and their three new QBs — veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and rookie Jaxson Dart — will take on the Buffalo Bills, followed by J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings against the Houston Texans. In the nightcap, the Justin Fields-led New York Jets will play the Green Bay Packers.

Here’s the full NFL Network live preseason schedule. All times are Eastern.

Week 1
Thursday, Aug. 7
Indianapolis Colts vs. Baltimore Ravens, 7 p.m.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks, 10 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 8
Cleveland Browns vs. Carolina Panthers, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 9
New York Giants vs. Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m.
Houston Texans vs. Minnesota Vikings, 4 p.m.
New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers, 8 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 10
Miami Dolphins vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.
New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 4 p.m.

Week 2
Friday, Aug. 15
Tennessee Titans vs. Atlanta Falcons, 7 p.m.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Seattle Seahawks, 10 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 16
Cleveland Browns vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 4 p.m.
New York Jets vs. New York Giants, 7 p.m.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos, 9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 17
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m.

Week 3
Thursday, Aug. 21
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Carolina Panthers, 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 22
Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys, 8 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 23
Los Angeles Rams vs. Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers, 4 p.m.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins, 7 p.m.
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Arizona Cardinals, 10 p.m.

–Field Level Media